Wax-on-wax-off

Most cars these days do not need to be waxed until the paint (or clear coat) starts to deteriorate. This could be a few years or many years depending on several factors including whether you park the car in the sun all day.

If you are determined to wax it anyway, I would wait at least 6 months to make sure the paint has cured.

Because "Tom Celica" could, he/she/it opin'd:

Two answers come to mind:

Why would you wait?

-or-

Before the snow files.

Whichever you prefer depends on where you live, I guess . . . .

-Don

Today's automotive finishes are catalyzed and they fully cure within hours. The factory also bakes the body in an infrared oven to speed it up even more.

By the time it leaves the plant, it's as ready for wax as it can get.

The wax does add a slight UV protective film to your paint and a little extra protection from the elements.

Wax away.

.....Well two guys say "do it now", and one guy says wait a-while. It seems prudent to wait till the end of summer, but before the rainy season begins.

Thanks for your opinions

-tom

While you're waiting, check out Zaino.

You'll notice an improvement that can be layered on with additional applications.

Wax is kind of pass=E9 these days. Looks great at first, then dulls and you need to reapply, plus it leaves a white residue in crevices.

I went through the full Zaino process couple years ago, and now just use the car wash product with a natural sponge and dry with a chamois.

Leaves a very slick, brilliant, protective finish that looks spectacular. (not inexpensive though)

For starters you'll need 100% cotton made in USA Fieldcrest towels, clay bar, and Dawn. Site has full instructions. I have no relation with them other than liking the product better than the many others I've tried through the years.

Who's got that sort of time to waste on a car?

Never Never Never Wax!!!!!

POLISH!!!!!!!!!!

Polish is engineered to sink into the paint film and provide aid and help in maintaining its integrity. Wax is engineered to put a surface film over the paint. Very pretty for a very short time.

My Polish of choice is Turtle Wax '2001 Polish'. As one of the last of the BigTimeOverAccomplishers I run the 2000 model Camry through the carwash with the brushes, by the time I get home it is mostly dry, 10 or 15 minutes to smear some of the '2001 Polish' everywhere (a little water does not hurt a thing, may even be good) and then go back with some old towel-rags and try to wipe most of it up. Time limit for film removal in the BigTimeOverAccomplishers Code is 30 minutes. If it is the first time then repeat it in a week. Then after the next rainy spell do the carwash again to get most of the white film off that was missed. Do that once a year for two or three years. My 6-year old paint still looks new. Note- a couple of times a year the car gets a bath in the car wash, full treatment.

================== If you feel that way about it, just do as you wish.

That's why manufacturers started using clear coat finishes - keeps the appearance up with minimal care because the paint surface is already sealed in.

The extra effort is for those who enjoy the extra results.

The conventional wisdom says 6 months before the first coat. This allows time for all the layers to fully cure. But not sure about today's enviromental friendly paint. A good compromise in the mean time is Turtle Wax's Zip Wax Wash and Wax.

Tom Celica wrote:

Polish (and to a greater extent rubbing compound) contains abrasives that remove the top layer of the paint (or clear coat) as part of the process. This is often what needs to be done on a badly weathered paint job, but certainly not a new car.

That was my point really - the results are short-term. Having owned quite a few old cars, I'm darned if I could tell the difference between which had been polished or not, except some were down to the undercoat in places perhaps from too much polishing.

My '05 has yet to be waxed. In fact it has only been washed about once a year. All its well and it looks fine. I chose the tan/sand/gold/.. what color is that anyway because it hides dirt. Solid dark colors and solid light colors show the dirt something awful. And, conventional wisdom around here says the "clear coat" lasts for ever and looks good.

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

"Forever" tends to be length of payments or 5 years. A little wax can greatly preseve the finish of a car. Its maybe 2-3 hours of work and it looks great afterwards. Not washing a car just speeds up rust and corrosion. Great for those who don't care about a new nick or scratch -- but at $25+k, I sure do. Guess you don't have to press NO IRON shirts either - but you sure can tell the difference.

I waxed my new 2007 v6 Camry XLE already 2 weeks after I got it. It's a magnetic (dark) gray color. Since it's really clean I figured the best time for the first wax is now. I washed it first with Turtle Wax then I used Meguiar's Quick Wax and it looked great afterwards. The instruction says to use Meguiar's Quick Detail between waxing if you cleaned a bird poop, tar or tree sap.